Lighter



July 26, 1949.

A. sHATKlN LIHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1945 1N VEN TOR.figa/V 5477,6//1/ July 26, 1949.`

Filed April 18, 1945 A. SHATKIN LIGHTER M ff 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3f l S 23f 33 30 ,al

INVENTOR.

i frise/Vey the lighter is not in use, the plate 23' will contact flamecup guide element 3|, and said element will act valve-like to close theseries of apertures 33 at the bottom of the wall of the flame cup 23,and the relative position of these elements will be so maintained due tothe action of the spring 32.

The open top of the flame cup is spanned by a metal mesh or gauze member34. An absorbent element may be housed within the flame cup 23, as at35, and extends from above the holes 33, to a little below the gauzemember 24. Said flame cup at its upper extremity, carries a flange 33extending from its body, from which flange extend in opposite directionsthe cam follower arms 36. These arms are respectively in sliding contactwith the downwardly sloping edge of the cam members 31, which are fixedon the inner walls of the outer casing l5. VIt is to be noted that thecross section of the shutter member 2t, need be H-shaped in theembodiment illustrated, in order to clear said cam members 31 (see Fig.6). Also note that the diameter of the flange 38, exceeds that of thetube 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. L2, the tube 29, is verticallyslidably mounted with respect to the inner casing I9, and carries a pumpmeans at its lower end, indicated generally by the numeral 33. Referringto Figs. 4 and 5, the numeral 43 designates a piston having a centralhole therethrough communicative with the-bore 29 of the tube 29,1whichpiston is carried at the bottom end of said tube. Said piston is withina cylinder element 4|, slidably mounted on said tube 3S. A collar 42,fixed about said tube serves as a seat-for the compression spring 43which acts against the cylinder member 4|. The upper end of an elongatedcompression spring 44 is secured to the underside of the piston member49. This spring lextends directly below the piston member and servestorraise the piston member above the oor of the inner casing It.

In the lighter of Fig. 2, which shows same in condition when not in use,the inner casing l, is positioned in contact with 'outer casing end i5".The llame hole and the apertures 22 are closed by the shutter 2li.V Theflame cup 23 is in its uppermost position with respect to the tube 39,so maintained by the spring 32, whereby plate 23' is up against flamecup guide 3l, and holes 33 are closed. Due to action of spring 4:3, tube29 is in its raised position with respect to the inner casing I6, andthe bottom open end of the cylinder 4|, is a little off the bottom ofthe fuel container, which here is the inner casing i6. Due to spring 43,piston 40 is near the top of the cylinder member 4|. This condition isset forth in Fig. 4. v

In operation, the lighter is taken in hand. With the thumb, the userpushes the inner casing IB towards end l vagainst action of the springs|1 which are thus compressed. During such relative movement of thecasing members I3 and |75, gear 26 will be rotated by its engagementwith rack 21. Of course, the friction wheel will cause sparking to occurby its rubbing contact with the pyrophoric element 24. Simultaneouslythe action of cams 31, will cause the flame cup 23 to be pushed downwardinto the counterbore 30, making the interior of said flame cupcommunicative with the said counterbore through the apertures 33. Uponfurther downward movetank i6. The springs 43 and 44 will be stressed,and the piston 49 will move downward while the cylinder is at rest,whereby fuel (not shown) which is pocketed within the cylinder member4l, will rise up into tube 29, and thence into the counterbore 30. Then,after the impact of the fuel is deadened materially against the bottom23 of the llame cup 23, such fuel will enter the flame cup through theseries of holes 33, seep through and about the loosely arrangedabsorbent mass 35, and become ignited by the spark from element 24.

The flame of the burning fuel will be only above the gauze member 34,part within the outer casing l5, and part out through the ame hole 2l.This hole 2| at the remote end of the manipulation of thev casing I6,will be in alignment with the flame cup 23. Part of the flame issuingfrom the flame cup 23, being within the outer casing f l5, andventilation holes 22 being at name position, a wind guard is thusprovided for protection of the flame; VThe relative position of thevarious components of the device when operated are substantially shownin Fig. 5.

When, the user has no further use for the f llame, the thumb hold on theinner casing I6 ment caused by the action of said cams 731 when isreleased, whereupon the various components of the device willautomatically assume rest position due to the action of the springsincluded in the device, the flame will become extinguished due toexclusion of air, and any unburntfuel which was raised, will be suckedback down into the tank, except what may remain absorbed in mass 35, ifthe latter is included. The actual amount of fuel automatically raisedat each operation of the device need be very small, a few drops at most.The dimension of' the pump elements should be so designed that only suchsmall quantity be raised. If desired, it is evident that the lighter maybe provided with an ordinary wick in place of theY absorbent mass 35 andthe gauze member 3e, in which instance the wick would nil the mouth andYextend slightly upward from the fuel cup 23. Such structure is easilyunderstood without any further illustration.

In place of the pump structure 39, it' isV suggested to use a rubber cupelement 45, as in Fig. 7. Such cupisl secured to the bottom end of thetube 29, and is communicative with the bore of said tube. The'operationthereof is obvious. A spring 4S, having the same function as spring 44,is included.

In the modified form of lighter as in Fig. 8, it is to be noted, thatthe pyrophoricelement 24 is in direct frictionalcontact with a steelelement having a rough surface 41. This element is secured to theceilingof the outer casing l5. The fuel tankis .a'rubber sac 29, provided witha vent valve indicated diagrammatically at 48. A bell-crank is pivotallymounted to the inner casing at 49, whereby its arm 59 may compressV sac2B, when the arm 5| [of said bell crank 52, is shifted by action of acam 53! mounted on the wall of the outer casing l5. Said cam is'sodesigned that the sae 28Vwil1 be compressed a definite amount to effectlifting of fuel' up through tube 54, which is akintube 29, but is fixedwith respect to the inner casing I6. The` operation of this embodimentis obvious in view of explanations already herein set forth. i Y

The manner of mounting the pyrophoric elements 24 and 24 maylbe asiswell known, by

use of a tube fixedlyextending through the inner casing, and housing aspring 55 to createpres sure contact of the pyrophoric element extendingY within the cylinder up through the tube and into the fiame cup, y

5. A lighter as defined in claim l, including a valve means interposedbetween the tube and the iiame cup, adapted to remain in closedcondition while the lighter is in rest condition and adapted toautomatically open to make the tube and flame cup communicative uponmovement of the manipulatable member from rest position.

- 6. In a lighter of the character described, the combination of a tankadapted to house a liquid fuel, a pyropnoric element, means to causesparks to issue from the pyrophoric element, a relatively small name cuppositioned in the region of said sparksja tube extending from the bottomregion of the tank and communicative with said flame cup, a pump meansto transport a supply of fuel from the tank up through said tube andinto the flame cup, means to automatically operate the pump means ateach operation of the spark causing means, whereby fuel transported intothe fiame cup is ignited by said sparks, and a. means moveably mountedon said tank, adapted upon manipulation thereoffrom rest position, toactuate the spari: causing means; said tube being inoveably mounted withrespect to the tank, and the pumping means comprises a piston carried onthe bottom' of said tube having a bore communim cative with the interiorof said tube and tank, an open-mouthed cylinder slidablywcarried by thetube, having the piston positioned therein, spring meansV to maintain`the mouth of the cylinder spaced from the wall of the tank and tomainaway from said mouth, and to maintain the tube in a raised position,while the lighter is in rest- Y condition;

theV pump operating means being adapted vto lower said tube uponmovement of the inanipulatable member from rest position, whereby themouth of thecylinder contacts the wail of the tank, and the piston isslid towards the mouth of the cylinder thus forcing fuel cached wit thecylinder up through the tube and into the fiame cup. Y

7. A lighter as defined in claim 6, including a valve means interposedbetween the tube and flame cup, adapted to remain in closed conditionwhile the lighter is in rest condition, and adapt-r ed to automaticallyopen to make the tube and flame cup communicative upon movement of themanipulatable member from rest position.. v

v8. A lighter as defined in claim 2, wherein the tube is movably mountedwith respect to the in- Y said resilient cup being communicative withthe y ner casing, and whereinthe pumping means comprises'an open-mouthedcup of resilient material carried at the bottom ofsaid tube; theinterior of tube, and spring means to maintain the mouth of saidresilient cup spaced from the Wall of the inner casing and to maintainthe tube in raised position while' the lighter is in rest condition, and

including a' cam carried on the interior of the outer casing, an armextending from the flame vcup in sliding contact with said cam, wherebyupon initialmovement of the inner casing within the outer casing, thename cup will be pushed into the counterbore and the tube will be moveddownwards into the inner casing, and whereby the mouth of thek,resilient cup will contact the Wall of the inner casing anditsrvolumetric capacity is diminished, thus forcing fuelY cached Withinthe resilient cup up through the tube and into the fiame cup.

`9. A lighter as defined in claim 2, including a tank of resilientmaterial for housing the fuel, an air inlet valve mounted in the wallatthe top of said tank, and wherein is included a movn ably mountedtank-squeezing member, adapted upon movement thereof to squeeze the,tank whereby fuel is transported up throughy the tube and into the fiamecup; said squeezing member having an element extending into the outercas ing and a cam mounted on the outer casing; said element of thesqueezing member being in sliding contact with said cam, adapted uponmovement of the inner casing within the outer casing, to shift thesqueezing member against ythe tank a predetermined range,

10. A lighter as defined in claim l, including a valve means interposedbetween the tube and the flame cup,v adapted to remain in closed conhdition while the lighter is in rest condition, and

Vadapted to automatically open to make the tube and flame cupcommunicative upon movement of the manipulatable member from restposition.

' AARON SHATKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Aronson Mar.. 7, 1933

